Variation in Incoming Academic Preparation: Consequences for Minority and First-Generation Students

Shima Salehi,Sehoya Cotner,Cissy J Ballen

doi:10.3389/feduc.2020.552364

Abstract

Recent efforts to promote diversity in the sciences, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines include widening access to colleges and universities for capable but academically underprepared students. Equally important in these efforts is to provide students with support after acceptance, particularly in large, introductory STEM courses. We found that under-represented minority students and first-generation college attendees underperformed relative to their peers across STEM courses, and incoming preparation was the chief culprit in explaining these academic performance gaps, even after controlling for social psychological factors. We conclude that institutions should reconsider how they provision underprepared students with opportunities to excel in STEM. To address the variation in incoming academic preparation among students, we advocate for institutional resources supporting supplemental instruction, bridge programs, and evidence-based teaching practices.

Highlights

In efforts to make higher education more accessible and inclusive, institutions have implemented policies and agendas aimed at widening access for students who have been historically underrepresented
While we focus on two underrepresented demographic groups - Underrepresented minority (URM) and first-generation college attendee students (Fgen) students we acknowledge that these are two of many identities currently underrepresented in STEM
We will focus on 5269 students in introductory courses of these two colleges (Table 2): 2860 students enrolled in one of 17 introductory biology classes offered by the College of Biological Sciences (CBS); and 2409 students enrolled in one of 15 introductory courses in the College of Science and Engineering (CSE)

Summary

Introduction

In efforts to make higher education more accessible and inclusive, institutions have implemented policies and agendas aimed at widening access for students who have been historically underrepresented. In 2017 the College Board piloted an admissions tool that assigns students with an ‘adversity score,’ a numerical rating reflecting the challenges they have faced during their pre-college education. Underrepresented minority (URM) students in the United States—African American, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American undergraduates—have equal aspirations to pursue a STEM major as majority students (Crisp et al, 2009; Koenig, 2009; Hurtado and Ruiz, 2012). According to the few large-scale efforts that track students through higher education, proportionally more URM students leave STEM majors. Besides URM students, first-generation college attendee students (Fgen) are another demographic group whose participation in STEM is a growing concern

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Conclusion